Mbappé, Vinicius and Konaté spark controversy as Real Madrid respond

Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé, and Ibrahima Konaté caught the eye ahead of the match between Real Madrid and Elche on Tuesday evening, in La Liga, due to the way they handled the shirt designated to support the city of Ceuta.

Real Madrid and Elche players stepped onto the pitch at the Martínez Valero Stadium wearing white shirts bearing the message 'Todos somos caballas', which means 'We are all caballas', as part of a solidarity initiative to support Ceuta.

Despite the participation of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé, and Ibrahima Konaté in this initiative, the trio appeared differently from the other players, as they wore their shirts rolled up, which made the message on them not fully visible.

Vinicius and Mbappé drew the most attention by removing their shirts before completing the usual pre-match protocol with Elche players, while the rest of the players from both teams kept theirs on during the moments leading up to the match. As for Konaté, he entered the pitch with his shirt also wrapped, meaning the full message on the shirt was not visible.

Real Madrid has indicated through its official channels the initiative, describing it as a "solidarity initiative with Ceuta", explaining that it came as part of an initiative launched by the Valencia Business Association (AVE), with other clubs participating, including Levante and Barcelona, as well as Villarreal and Real Betis.

According to reports, Real Madrid has agreed to Elche's request to participate in the initiative, but at the same time, the club has left it up to each player to decide individually whether to wear the shirt, given the differing opinions and sensitivities within the dressing room.